Batjl bibeibo da silva



* UNITED STATES PATENT onnion.

f AUL BIBEIRO DA SILVA, or nronn annnmo, BRAZIL.

TREATING. HIDES ,AND SKINS.

No Drawing.

To all whom itmag concern: 7 H

' Be it known that I, RAUL RIBEIRO DA SILVA, a citizen of the Republic of Brazil, residing at Riode J aneiro, Brazil, have invented certain new and. useful Improvements in Treating Hides and Skins; and I do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the inven tion, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to makeand use thesame." ,7

This invention has for its object the provision of an inexpensive andexpeditious method of treatingvboth raw and salted hides and skins, whereby they are preserved indefinitely in a dry, odorless'and pliable condition and are suitable for immediate use for many purposes or for subsequent tan ning.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a method of treating hides and skins which insures the destruction of the germs of all diseases to which cattle and animals are subject and which may be transmitted to human beings by contact with the hides or skins.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent as it is better unders'tood by reference to the following specification in which I have described a preferred embodiment thereof.

Hides and skins are now prepared for shipment by drying or salting, both of which methods produce a highly odorous and obj ectionable product of no value whatever until subjected to a tanning operation. Moreover, when dried the hides and skins become brittle and subject to damage and when salted they are bulky and weigh at least twice as much as when dried. When shipped in either dried or salted condition they may often carry germs of tetanus, anthrax, carbuncle, aphthous fever, etc., which may be transmitted by contact to human beings.

I propose to prepare hides and skins by a simple, inexpensive and expeditlous method which leaves them in a .dry, sterile, inodorous, and pliable condition adapted for immediate use for many purposes and for ship-- ment in passenger vessels, if necessary, and for subsequent tanning.

In carrying out my invention all meat and fat is removed from the hides or skins in the usual manner and if salt has been previously applied it must be entirely removed I S peciiication of Lettersiatent. Patented lvlay 20 1919, v Application filed December 1e, 191a Serial no. 266,934.

by thorough washing. Y The cleaned hides or y skins are then subjected for a limited pef riod, preferably'a few minutes only to a bath of copper sulfate solution containing for example 3 per cent. by weight of copper sulfate bath and while the hides or skins are 160 sulfate. Upon withdrawal from the copper still in a moist condition, a preservative;

composition is rubbed into the surface thereof. This composition may varybut in the preferred embodiment of my invention com- I pris'esboraix 20%, al1imir'1a 45% and talk or 1 dolomite 3 5%, pulverized and thoroughly f mixed. 7 I

1 After the foregoing treatment the hides or skins are hung or stretched to dry in a cov-' 'ered and ventilated place. After preliminary drying the dehydration may be substantially completed by placing the hides or skins in the sun or in a heated building. The drying is, however, preferably not hastened artificially unless reduction of time is necessary.

The hides or skins upon completion of the foregoing treatment will be quite dry, entirely odorless and pliable. The product may be manufactured into harness and a variety of other commodities without further treatment since it is preserved indefinitely in the condition produced by the treatment to which it has been subjected. It may, however,-be subsequently tanned by any of the usual tanning processes.

While I preferably employ the preservative composition in treating hides and skins, satisfactory results are frequently obtainable by treatment with copper sulfate solution alone. It is my intention, therefore, to claim my invention as comprising the use of copper sulfate solution either with or without the subsequent use of the preservative composition.

From the foregoing description itwill be readily appreciated that I have discovered an extremely simple and inexpensive method of preserving hides and skins and that various changes may be made in the materials employed and in the mode of application thereof, without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed or sacrificing any of its material advantages. I

I claim:

1. A method of treating hides and skins which comprises subjecting the hides or skins to the action of a copper sulfate solution, treating the hides or skins While still in a moist condition with a preservative composition and subsequently drying the hides or skins.

2. A method of treating hides and skins which comprises subjecting the hides or skins to the action of a copper sulfate solution, treating the hides or skins While stillin a moist condition with a preservative composition including bora-X, and subsequently drying the hides or skins.

3. A method of treating hides and skins which comprises subjecting the hides or skins to the action of a copper sulfatesolutionytreating the hides or skins While still in a moist condition With a preservative includ ing borax, alumina and talc and subsequently drying the hides or skins.

4. A method of treating hides and skins Which comprises subjecting the hides or skins to the action of a copper sulfate solution, treating the hides or skins While still Gooiuotthispatent mayvbe obtained for in a moist condition with a dry pulverized preservative composition and subsequently drying the hides or skins.

5. A method of preserving untanned hides and skins which comprises subjecting the hides or skins to the action of a copper sulfate solution and subsequently drying the hides or skins.

6. A method of treating hides and skins which comprises subjecting the hides or dry pulverized preservative composition including borax and subsequently drying the hides or skinsl.

In testimony whereof Lafiix my signature.

' RAUL RIBEIRO DA SILVA.

five cents ,each,,by addressing.the Commissioner of Patents; Washington, 13.0. I v 

